Pikachupi
by Virgo Writer
Summary: Ritchie schools Ash on the meaning of a certain word in Pikachu's vocabulary. Oneshot.


After the success of 'Something in the Water' I decided to try my hand at another ficlet, which is something that's been in my head for a while.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon

Pikachupi

"Ash, you do know what 'pikachupi' means, don't you?" Ritchie asked, giving Ash an almost hopeful look.

Ash shrugged, pulling Pikachu towards him and holding the yellow rodent in front of himself for inspection. The pairs of humans and pikachus were happily sprawled in the sun - basking in the case of Pikachu and Sparky - on Professor Oak's grassy front lawn while they shared stories of adventures. Ritchie was telling Ash about sometime he spent on an island off the coast of Johto where Pikachu were treated as gods and some research that he'd been doing on Pikachu language.

He didn't know what it was with Pokémon research these days, but almost everybody Ash knew seemed to be into it. Brock and the Professor seemed to have developed some sort of experiment to finally test his theory about Pokémon mate selection, which for some strange reason seemed to involve Pikachu and six different marrils with Sparky as the control (which was why they were in Pallet). Tracy was observing some type of migration back around the Orange Islands. Gary was even more hard core and busy with his studies working his way up to the rank of Professor - his research topic Ash had never bothered finding out, but Misty said it was totally gross so he suspected it involved either bugs, carrots or peppers and he'd be surprised if it was one of the latter two.

Ash wondered if maybe he should be doing some sort of research, although he didn't really see the appeal. It looked like a hell of a lot of work and you didn't even get a badge at the end of it! What use was prestige within the scientific community if you didn't even get a badge?!

Nobody else seemed to agree with his logic except for Misty, but he reckoned that was only because she was in the same boat as he was being research-less and having to submit her Pokémon as test subjects for their friends in academia.

Ritchie sighed as he watched Ash become lost in thought, rolling his eyes and shaking his head at the glazed expression. "I bet you never even thought about it," he surmised from the sheepish look Ash was now giving him.

"I knew _who_ he meant," Ash countered. "Isn't that enough? I never really thought about it having an actual meaning," he admitted as he sat Pikachu back down on the grass and watched the electric mouse bound towards the one dubbed 'Pikachupi' who was tending to a mouse of her own. He wondered briefly if Pikachu had a thing for marrils that he didn't know about, or if it was simply because they were the most convenient species for Brock and the Professor to come by.

"Please tell me you at least worked out what 'pikapi' meant," Ritchie half moaned, half begged looking at Ash with hope shining in his eyes.

"Of course," Ash replied, looking put out. "It wasn't that hard to figure out. All pikachu trainers get called 'pikapi' so obviously it means trainer. You'd have to be stupid not to realize it."

"Well it's slightly more complicated than trainer, but I guess you've got the jist," Ritchie shrugged with a roll of his eyes. "It's the person with vested interest in them and control of their actions - that's the literal translation. It's sort of half way between master and parent."

"You mean kinda like a trainer?" Ash asked sarcastically.

Ritchie shot him a nasty glare and then said almost spitefully, "you know, I'd never even heard a pikachu use 'pikachupi' until met you. It's pretty rare apparently, especially given that you were only ten at the time."

It almost sounded like a compliment as the slightest tinge of awe and surprise laced Ritchie's voice, but there was something about those words that Ash knew was not good. It felt like a warning, as though Ritchie was trying to tell him something very important that he couldn't say to his face.

Ash looked confused as he considered Ritchie's words and slowly realized that he had _never_ heard another pikachu use 'pikachupi'. But maybe that was just because he hadn't met that many pikachu trainers, especially ones with unevolved pikachu.

Ash murmured the words to himself aloud. It wasn't all that different from his own title when he thought about it - the two were only distinguishable by a single phoneme. It was the smallest possible difference you could have between two words.

So maybe 'pikachupi' was kind of like 'master' too - maybe like a 'sub-master' or 'girl-master' seeing as she was a girl. It made sense - it certainly explained Pikachu's reluctance to battle her and the willingness of all his Pokémon to fight on her behalf. Ash proceeded to convey this to Ritchie.

Ritchie gave him an encouraging look, surprised by some of his deductions even though he still hadn't hit the mark. He noted a few of the Ash's points for his research.

"It's actually more simple than that," the trainer/researcher admitted, pushing his red-brown hair away from his face. "Although I'm not sure you're going to like it all that much when I tell you."

"You've been building this thing up for half an hour," Ash complained. "You can't not tell me now."

"It might be safer not to," Ritchie grimaced. "I'm not sure you're ready to know."

Ash prepared himself to protest, when an impish laugh coming in beside him interrupted his train of thought. "I'd have to agree with him," a female voice teased. "I just don't think you're ready for _the talk_, Ash."

"Pik pikapika pikachupi," the electric mouse following at her heals laughed beside her.

"Mar marrillll," the water mouse agreed.

"What is this? Pick on Ash day?" Ash asked incredulously, pouting at the newcomer. "First Ritchie won't tell me what 'pikachupi' means, and now you three are ganging up on me."

"Are you serious, Ash?" she asked, her eyes widening in surprise and her words laced with laughter. That look was quickly replaced with one of superiority as a smirk graced its ways onto her features. "So it's _that_ talk," she intoned ominously. "Ritchie, I really think he's old enough to handle it now."

Ritchie grimaced as she sat down beside him, her eyes locked on Ash. She couldn't wait to see his reaction and she was almost bubbling with anticipation. This was going to be _very_ entertaining.

"Well it's, uh," Ritchie stuttered. He was suddenly starting to feel very nervous, even though it had been his intention to break this news to Ash right from the beginning of their conversation. In fact, he had thought of the moment where he would miraculously reveal his knowledge to Ash the second he found out about it.

"Oh just get on with it already," the female sat beside him groaned.

Ritchie sighed. "Ok. Well, Ash you see, if 'pikapi' means master, then 'pikachupi' kinda sort of means, master's mate," he said very slowly.

"Ok," Ash said blandly, not really sure why they were making a big deal of it. He decided not to question Ritchie's sudden use of Australian slang and instead asked a different question that was troubling him. "But I don't get why it only applies to one person. I've got lots of friends, but you're the only one who gets 'pikachupi'," he said, directing the last part towards her and not Ritchie.

The pair before them practically face-faulted.

"It's not that kind of mate Ash," Ritchie said tightly. "It's a _mate_ mate."

Ash looked reflexive for a moment as Ritchie's words sunk in. "As in a m-m-m-ma-mate?" Ash asked, looking between the two pikachu and the two humans who all nodded in confirmation. "B-but yo-you can't mean. I mean, m-me and her . . . and n-no."

"Ha!" she cried, taking excessive joy in his reaction. "Now everyone knows you love me Ash Ketchum, and there's nothing you can do about it," she said triumphantly, prodding his chest.

"Yeah right," Ash proclaimed, jumping into defensive mode. "Like I could ever love a scrawny runt like you!" he yelled.

"Yeah?" she asked, jumping to her feet, an action that Ash quickly reciprocated. "Well, like I could ever love a stupid hat wearing loser like you!" she cried back.

"Take that back!" he demanded.

"Make me!" she argued you back.

And that's when the chase ensued.

Ritchie shook his head, his eyes landing on the small four year old whose brilliant sea green eyes followed their every move. "This is ridiculous," he sighed, ruffling her raven locks. "You'd think that at their age they'd be a little more mature," he commented, receiving a soft giggle from the little girl.

Ritchie just sighed again and muttered blandly to himself. "Sixteen years of friendship and seven years of marriage, and they _still_ act like a couple of two year olds."

~FIN~


End file.
